This year on my birthday in May my parents took me (or I took them?) to observe the Mille miglia vintage car race as it was passing Tuscany. I took a million photos and yet have not investigated online to see whom of several announced celebrities I might have captured. I was there for the cars. They tend to need a driver though, and here is a selection of machines and their owners. See if you can recognize any. And another thing: colours brought to you by the damned dusk/dawn setting. That will teach me.

First the collection of ruminating red oldies.

Some are deceptively calm.

Some are boisterously joyous.

Some have time to wave.

And one is in love with his blue magic woman.

And then there is the cool and collected Mercedes brigade.

In comparison Porsche peeps have lost their pop. Or have they?

A sinister-seeming Italian job and a French first art contribution.

And to finish it off, a favourite (because I seemed to have missed all the Peugeots). Have 500 baci.

Today my father celebrates big. I will join the celebrations shortly but for now I’m sending greetings and warm wishes in the shape of selected images taken by you:

Blonde bundle of joy, and this is exactly how I still feel sometimes.

Possibly my favourite photo ever. With your father.

By Burano Lake

In Bagno Vignoni

Bežigrad Challenge

With my new branco in Terme Saturnia

Paparazzo, Mille miglia race

In Val d’Orcia

In Giardino dei tarocchi (featured photo above also from here)

Giardino dei tarocchi selfie

Photo: BM

Portrait if a young photographer

Young writer

Your Maribor. Photo: BM

Your city. It will be forever.

It used to be so far. Traffic jams, fog, snow, heat – things needed to be endured.

And then finally Maribor, and most often sunny. Main square. Those four floors – sometimes it seemed even higher, depending on form.

View of green Pohorje. The scent of the kitchen. Cheerful baca.

This is your courtyard. High school. Basketball court. Drava river. “Don’t let NATO see your bridges,” Balašević said during his concert on the raft.

Impressions from my last visit? Pretty, quiet, friendly. Romantic, yet rainy on this occasion. Just where there used to be the marketplace, little chicks can no longer be bought.

And then, in Piran, the exact same number of stairs?

In Piran. Photo: MM

You always love to surprise and please.

The age is right for me to like Shakin’ Stevens. He is a regular in Bravo. His posters look down from the wall.

When you go abroad once again, you return with cassettes. A bunch of them. I look at them in awe. Names I have never heard before. And then one that I know. Stevens! Shaky! But no. The name on the tape is Cat Stevens. Disappointment lasts several years until I realise that Cat is a hundred times better.

In the same bunch of tapes there is also one of Buddy Miles, Jimi Hendrix drummer.

Many years later I will be at his concert in Vienna. The name will ring a bell from somewhere.

Father, not really son, but the year is right. Tanti auguri e grazie per tutto!

Keeping the ROY G. BIV order (rainbow colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) but why this would be easier to remember than BIG VORY, for example, is beyond me to be investigated. Thank you for teaching me something new.

This was Mille miglia race in Tuscany this year. See if you can spot a celebrity. Will have to make several more posts from this race when the subjects are “black” or “silver” or “white” or “shiny” or “cars”.

Fred, you throw pieces of bread
On top of my head
Nate, you’re pulling my braid
When the table is laid
Boon, you hide my cartoon
And blow my balloon
Zak, you push me in the back
When we play in the shack
Sly, you make me cry
When you steal my pie
Just Clyde is so very polite
He gives me chocolate, I bite.

And this is what I could add (hippies, like partisans, will NEVER die out, no matter how others count on old age to do them in):

Maybe it will all really be okay, mom. Imagine that! I’m happy that you like what I did to your poem. Wishing you a happy heart (and many more heart-shaped stones that you collect and can be seen on the top photo), a peaceful soul and calm sea. Happy birthday!

This year my birthday was again spent in the company of my parents, amore and dog, which is all one wishes to hope for (since my sister is absolutely too far). Forty-five easy pieces. It was yesterday, and one glorious day it was.

New green pillow

New green stompers

New carnation design: cranberry chocolate from Slovenia

New pretty bowl

New recipe: peppers stuffed with tuna!

New surprise

We went to San Quirico d’Orcia to observe the Mille Miglia oldies race. Stay tuned for many more photos from here.

“I used to have her,” he said.

Paparazzo

Val d’Orcia

I was having fun taking photos. This is much easier to do when you are surrounded by what I have been.

Orvieto

Bagno Vignoni

Orbetello lagoon

The perfect day was concluded at I Pescatori at the Orbetello lagoon in merry company. Cin cin and thank you, everybody!

And when we exited, we were reminded that the world is indeed one. Photo: MM & BM (pillow, peppers, poppy, paparazzo)

THE ACTION HAS MOVED! This blog is about to burst at its seams, therefore it’s time to move on. Kids grow. Please visit my next blog: Mexi Movie the Third